Did you know that in 2010, slightly over half of the world’s population lived in major urban centres, but that by 2050, the estimate is 70%?
What are the implications of this massive shift? Well, this scale of an urban migration can often lead to the separation of families due to work and a loss of a communal identity. It can also lead to ecological challenges, increasingly concentrated areas of poverty, and a decrease in family support systems.
Thus, cities need to be on our radar, since this massive shift IS happening.
Doing ministry in the city is going to be an increasingly talked about issue in the 21st century, but is it actually necessary to move into the city? Or is it possible to have an effective and fruitful ministry in the city, while living in the suburbs and just driving in?
Ray Bakke, in his book, A Theology as Big as the City (click here for a book review), has a strong view on this issue. He deeply believes that there is no substitute for “the conscious relocation of Christians to set up residency and witness in the midst of the evil” in the cities. He even goes as far to say that there exists a relationship between the preservation of urban communities and the presence of the godly.
One practical biblical example (Nehemiah 11:1-2) that he suggests for suburban and rural churches, that have a heart for the city, is to actually tithe their people for relocation into the city. Bakke believes that a church’s responsibility to teach on biblical tithing cannot only address the issue of one’s finances, but it also has to be about developing a strategic plan to call one’s members into the city. After all, the kingdom of God is not just about the transformation of people, but it is also about the social and systemic transformation of all things.
While I agree with Bakke on those points, and also think that “tithing your people” is a pretty creative idea, I do not think it is as simple as he puts it. The social and systemic transformation of all things cannot be reduced merely to relocating oneself into an urban centre. Even if a large number of Christians move into cities, if their behaviour isn’t missional, and if they aren’t intentional in changing their lifestyle, it will make absolutely no difference.
While I do believe that moving into the city can be incredibly strategic in seeing the redemption of a geographical area, I would rather pour my efforts into discipling our people to become missional and to see their lives as a part of the mission of God and the redemption of all things. If this was our main focus, then wouldn’t the Spirit of God naturally prompt certain individuals to relocate?
What are your thoughts?
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the insightful post. My concern is if we wait until people are 100% transformed to be missional ambassadors of Christ, we’ll be waiting a long time. It’s like marriage prep. If you wait until you’re 100% selfless and ready to serve the other person in love, you’ll never get married.
Church leaders have to cultivate a missional culture where people are moving away from the church building into their neighbourhoods and spheres of influence, not moving towards safety, security and programming. A lot of this growth in discipleship can happen while people relocate to those areas that are the most neglected. My take is that both have to happen simultaneously: Challenge people to take the active step of obedience of relocating while creating opportunities and environments for them to grow in discipleship.
Blessings,
Robin Padanyi
Great points Robin.
However, instead of necessarily creating a missional culture where people are moving away from the church building and into their neighbourhoods, what if it was a both/and?
What if we saw our churches as equipping centres, rather than as distributors of spiritual goods? Then there would be an element of fantastic gathering, and powerful scattering.
“It’s like marriage prep. If you wait until you’re 100% selfless and ready to serve the other person in love, you’ll never get married”…good point Robin…but I also think Dan has a point too….the bottom line is the cities…BIG cities really need mature christians willing to move there to be the change most of the communities within the city need….It is dark and getting darker in alot of the cities I have been to… but excited to be living in LA{Cali} from small town Michigan….for the intent of reaching more people for Christ….that is also why we need to learn how to handle stress better, how to resolve conflict better and how to share our great love for our Creator with those around us….2 name a few…Just my thoughts!!
I like how Robin puts it. Question: Does Bakke claim that ALL it takes is moving people physically, with no consideration for the spiritual DNA and life practice of disciples who live as sent people [missionaries] ? Daniel- what you are doing to invest in mid-sized groups and to see the life of Jesus known and lived in them is certainly an essential part of the strategy. So also will be the corporate call to a whole people to give ourselves away, and the necessary strategy to send people groups into town and pray for them, resource them, remain connected to them.
It will be a truly glorious reality when church after local church come to see themselves as existing for the sake of the city, to be a blessing to people in the city, to give themselves away for people in the city and to be ready to do whatever it takes to see the life of Jesus seen, felt and received by people who do not yet know Him. What a self-denying, courageous, faith-filled and joyful community of Jesus apprentices those will be.
May it be!
Tim Doherty
I love the way you put it at the end Tim – what a compelling vision for the church.
In order to best call our people to give themselves away and see their lives, not as their own, but really under the paradigm of God’s mission, we need to address the systemic issues or underlying narratives that are driving all of our lives (see this post for a sermon I preached on that topic – Hitting Restart: A Different Perspective on the New Year).
Unless these underlying systemic narratives are addressed, then sending people into groups to pray for the city will just be behavioural modification or legalism, at best.